Retainer or separator for antifriction bearings



N F. G. HUGHES'ET AL RETAINER OR .SEPARATOR FOR ANTIFRICTION BEARINGSFiled May 2s, 192a ill mlh .54

JNVENTOBS:

CHARLES .szmvozvs, FEEDER/CK ,HUGHESJ BY @412 F hm YHE/R ATTOQNEYPatented Nov. 22, 1932 UNITED STATES FREDERICK G. HUGHES AND CHARLES B.

SIGNORS TO THE NEV DEPARTURE Y CONNECTICUT, CORPORATION OF CONNECTICTJ'H: v

PATENT. OFF CE; Q

snvrmons, or BRISTOL, connnorronr, As-

creams COMPANY, or BnIs'ron,

RETAINE on SEPARATOB. non An'rrrnrorron nnnnmos;

Application filed May as,

I a This invention relates to retainers or separators for antifrictionbearings and comprises'all the features of novelty herein disclosed. Anobject of the invention is to provide a light, strong retainer whichwill rotatably hold its rolling elements with little friction. Anotherobject is to provide an improved retainer capable of easy assembly withits rolling elements and wherein the pockets for the rolling elementswill tend to free themselves from foreign matter; To these 'ends andalso to improve gener ally and in detail upon devices of this generalcharacter,

the invention consists in the various matters hereinafter described andclaimed.

In its broader aspects, the invention is not necessarily limited to thespecificj embodiment selected for illustration in the'accompanymgdrawing in which: i r

' Fig; 1 is across sectional view of a portion'of a ball bearingutilizing the improved retainer. '7

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the retainer broken away and in section.

Q The retainer is illustrated 1n connection with a circular series ofballs 2 running on raceways of an inner race ring 4 and an outer 5 racering 6 of an angular contact bearing.

The retainer comprises a band or body'portion 8 of substantiallycylindrical form with openings for the rolling elements which bearagainst the rims of the openings in the region of the-points 10 and 12.The body portion 8 is straight in cross section and preferably has avery small taper to facilitate stripping the formed material from itsdiebut departs very little from a cylindrical surface. :Its

diameter is a little less than that of the cir- -cle through the centersof the rolling ele-' ments; When the rolling elements are balls asindicated, the openings are conveniently j formed by a cylindrical punchsmaller than -the balls and reciprocated' in a direction normal to thebody portion; A The openings are 3 accordingly circular as viewed fromthecenter of the retainer but, due to the cylindrical curvature of theband, the rims of the openings will not contact with the balls at thefront or rear in the region of thepOints '14 and 16, but only nearthepoints 10 and 12 1928. Serial No. 281,'2Q0.,

which are nearl the axes o frotationofthe balls. The rim of neachopening accordingly engages its'ballwholly on that half of the" ballwhich is nearer to the inner race ring and on one side of a planethrough the center of the ball, such plane being indicated by i line1s--20 in Fig. 1 and intersecting the ball 3 i in a great circle. 1

A resilient curved flange 22 is ,formed at one edge of the body portion8 a'ndhas an annular edge portion Qengaging each ball" with theretainer, one point 10 being atone end of the axis of rotation of theball (which axis is at right-angles to theangular contact line 26-28 ofthe bearing) and the other two points 12 and 24 being near butstraddling the other end of said axis. All three points are sufiicientlycloseto one another to guide.

and control the balls. when-the bearing is, in

use while also retaining the balls assembled -when the race ringsareremoved. With respectto the center ofthe retainer the point 12 thepOintQ l is outside of it. The flange is formed by bending the metaloutwardly at 30 from the bodyportion and laterally at 32 towards theballs leaving a clearance space at 34 between the ball and the flange.:The ball openings are preferably punched from outside the separatorbefore the final bending of theflange. This gives clean out surfaces forcontact with the balls and theburrs that, may.

' be left by the punch come atthe inner surface' of theretainer wherethey do not touch the balls; Preferably, also, tliejrims .of the ballopeningsare struck-with a. ball shaped punch to make themconform to theballs for a portion of the thickness of the metal in the" is inside theaxis of rotatiohof the ball andregion of points and 12. A stifl'eningflange 36 is bent inwardly at an angle from the other edge of the bodyportion in a direction substantially opposite to the ball re-' tainingfiange22 and at a point beyond the end of the inner race ring. Theretainer thus has a cross section of considerable radial" L extent togive it strength. With the rims of 7 theiball openings engaging theballs at points 7 10 with spaces between the rims andthe front or smallareas 'ontheir inner hemispheres and and-rear of theballs,foreignsmatter tends to become dislodged from the retainer bycentrifugal force. The contact of the retainer with the balls "at pointsor small areas where the velocity of rotation issmall lessens friction.[Instead of forcing the. balls into "their openings after bending theflange 22, the balls may first bepla'ced in their openings and theflange pressed down. against them; the tendency of the flange to springback avery little giving adesirable amount of running, clearance"without letting the Win balls escapei i ll; We claim:

.. 1. The combinationwith a rollingantifriction' -membenof a cagetherefor having at one side ofjsaid antifriction-member a portion thatcontacts with said antifriction-member at substantially the p'oleof saidantifriction- 'Inembers axis "of rotation, and also having at the otherside ofsaid'antifriction-member -"po'rti )nsthat contact; with saidantifrictionjmeinber at-points upon opposite sides of said axis'ofrotation,'said antifriction member and said'cage being out of contactwith ea h other *atiother points; substantially as described. 1

2. The combination with a rolling antifriction-membenlof a cage thereforhaving 'antifrictionmember ata point upon one side of said; axis and asecond portion that con- "tacts withthe peripheryof saidantifrictionjm'ei'nber at the other-side of'said axis, said pageandantifriction-member being out of 1 contact with each otherat otherpoints; substantiallyas described; 1 i 3. Thecombination with thereforcom'prisinga body portion having an opening that is of less diameterthan said ball and is so shaped'that one side of a ball resting thereincontacts with the said body 7 portion at substantially one poleof theaxis vofrotation of: said ball and the other side of the ball contactswith said body'portion at a point" atone side ofsaid'. axis, said balland 1' body portion being out of contact with each other-at otherpoints,and a flange upon said body portion at' the side' of the ball opposite 3said pole and contactingwith said ball on the a ball, of a cage side ofits said axis opposite that upon which said body portion contacts;substantially as r described.

4. The combination with a circularseriesof balls, of a'cage thereforcomprising a genorally-cylindrical body portion having substantiallycircular ball-receiving openings of 7 less diameter than said balls,whereby [when r a'ss-embledsaid balls contact with theirifmsfof theirrespective said openings at only two points, the said point atone; sideof a Studball' being fat substantially-one pole of the axis ofrotationof the' b a ll and the other of." said points being atthe otherside of said ball 7 V and at one side of said axis, and a flangeuponsaid body-portionjandjcontacting with said balls upon the other sideoftheir said axes; o

comprising a body portion of substantially straight cross section'withopenings receiving the balls, the'rim of each openlng hav ng onlytw'o'possible points of engagement with the:

' ball, these points lying insidegof a great cir cle of the ball, one ofsaid points lying atvthe axis of rotation of the ball and'the other nearsaid axis but inside of; it; the-rim being out of c 'contactwiththefront and rearof the ball,"

and a flange bent outwardly from one edge "of the body portion in spacedrelationlto the i ball and having an annular edge portionens "gagingeach ball ata point onrtheoutsideyof said great circle andon;the"outsidetofs said axis of rotation whereby the ball is held in theretainer by three point contact near. it; I

points of least elocity; substantially as de- "scribed. f V

6. In an antifriction bearing the combina tion with raoe-rings and acircular series of balls therebetween, of a ball cage between said ringsand comprising a substantiallycy- -lindrical body portion provided withsubs stantially'circular ball-receiving openings of less diameter thansaid balls, the balls; at one of their sides contactingwith' the rims ofsaid respective openings at apoint atsubstantiah ly one pole of the axisof rotation of theball, o

and the balls at their other side contacting with said rims at arpointupon oneside of said axis, a cage portion upon said body portion at thelatter mentioned side of said balls and extending away from saidbodyportion toward said axis, and a flange upon saidextending portion andextendingat an angle therefrom toward said balls and engag ng the sameat apoint upon the side ofsaid axes opsta-ntially as described. 7 Inananti-friction tion with acircular series of'balls, of 'a cage positethat upon which said'rirn engages; sub

bearing, the combinatherefor comprising a substantially cylindr'icalbody portion providedwith substantially circular openingsof lessdiameter than said balls and receiving-said balls, the balls at one oftheir sides contacting with the rims of said respective openings at apoint at su-bstantially one pole of the axis of rotation of the ball,and the balls at theirother side 0011- tacting with said rims at a pointupon one side of said axis, a cage portion upon said body portion at thelatter mentioned side of said balls and curving laterally outwardly fromsaid body portion and also toward said axes, and a flange upon saidcurved portion and engaging said balls upon the side of the said axesopposite that upon which said balls are engaged by said rim;substantially as described.

8. I11 a device of the character described, a circular series of rollingelements interposed between a pair of opposed raceways, a onepieceretainer comprising an annular body portion of substantially cylindricalform with a series of openings for the'rolling ele ments, the rim ofeach opening being located to engage its rolling element wholly on theinner side of a plane which extends through the center of the rollingelement and between the raceways, a single flange extending outwardlyfrom one edge of the body portion and having an annular edge portion toen-' gage each of the rolling elements at a point on the outer side ofsaid central plane when 7 the rolling elements are in load sustaininguse between the raceways, the flange being resilient and its edgeportion being spaced from the opposite edges of the series of openings adistance slightly less than the maximum dimension of the rollingelements whereby the rolling elements may be forced past the flange intothe openings, and a stiifening flange extending inwardly from the otheredge of the body portion; substantially as described.

9. In a device of the character described, a circular series of balls torun between an inner race ring and an outer race ring, a onepieceretainer comprising a body portion of substantially cylindrical formwith openings receiving the balls, the rim of each opening engaging itsball wholly on that half of the ball which is nearer to the inner racering, a V

curved flange bent outwardly from one edge of the body portion andlaterally towards the balls and having an annular edge portion engagingeach ball at a point on that half of the ball which is further from theinner race ring, the engagement of the flange with thethe inner racering; substantially as described.

10. In an antifriction bearing, the combi nation with a race-ring havinga race-groove therein over one shoulder of which a caged race of ballsis adapted to be forced, of a circularseries of ballsin said groove, anda cage for said balls comprising a substantially cylindrical bodyportion provided with openings recevingsaid balls and of lessdiameterthan said balls, the cage portion at the side of the balls adjacent saidshoulder being free from obstruction to the passage of the balls awayfromsaid ring, and a flange upon said body portion at the side of theballs away from said shoulder and spaced from the dia- CHARLES B.SIMMONS. a a s FREDERICK HUGHES; V I

